5. Pac-Man
First appearance: Pac-Man (1980)
One of the single oldest characters in Super Smash Bros, and gaming, history, Pac-Man finally joins the battle! A third party character, most people guessed that Pac-Man might be in line to joint the fray when it was revealed that Namco were helping to develop the new Smash Bros.
Pac-Man sports an interesting looking set of moves that hark back to retro Namco nostalgia. The ghosts that plague the little hero so much also show up on a few occasions, while Pac-Man’s final smash is naturally a massive version of his old self. His stage for the 3DS version in particular, Pac-Maze, also looks absolutely great to play on.
4. Villager
First appearance: Animal Crossing (2001)
Animal Crossing has had a presence in the Smash Bros. series since Super Smash Bros. Brawl, where it featured the Smashville stage (one of the best stages in the game, in my opinion). However, only now does the Villager arrive to fight! Despite Sakurai saying he felt the characters of Animal Crossing weren’t suited for combat, Villager is actually a surprisingly good choice.
It’s clear from the offset that Sakurai and his team have put an awful lot of work into Villager’s moves. From his Gyroid rocket move, to his bowling ball smash attack, the Villager just oozes personality and charm. His delightfully vacant expression has also led to a number of internet memes depicting his hidden insanity and murderous lust for blood, which has only made the character more and more enjoyable.
The Villager’s final smash, while similar to Kirby’s old final smash, is wonderful in its depiction of Tom Nook’s crookedness. Altogether, Villager is a very well made character with clearly a lot of work put in.
3. Bowser Jr.
First appearance: Super Mario Sunshine (2002)
Okay, maybe there’s a tiny bit of bias here – after all, Bowser Jr. has been my most wanted character in Smash Bros since before Brawl! Seriously though, I absolutely love what they’ve done with the character.
I don’t think many people expected that Bowser Jr. would fight inside the Koopa Clown Car, but it’s brilliantly executed and makes him one of the most intriguing fighters in the game. Again, while Bowser Jr. does expand the ever-inflating number of Mario representatives, his move set allows him to truly stand out. Add to that the fact that his unique alternate costumes feature the seven Koopalings as almost completely separate characters and you’ve got another newcomer that has clearly had an awful lot of love and attention paid to him.
Bowser Jr’s final smash allows him to turn into Shadow Mario – a nice little homage to the kid’s first appearance in the gaming world!
2. Robin
First appearance: Fire Emblem: Awakening (2012)
Robin, otherwise known as the Avatar, is the main character in Fire Emblem: Awakening, the enormously popular latest game in the role-playing franchise. While Lucina is also a playable character in the new Smash Bros, it’s definitely Robin that takes the crown.
Unique not only amongst his Fire Emblem contemporaries, but also the entire Smash Bros cast, Robin utilises both sword and spells in his battles. Robin brings with him a number of tomes which allow him to fire off different abilities – but with limited usage. He also wields two blades and so might seem overwhelming at first, but the character’s moves are easy to get to grips with. Unlike the other Fire Emblem characters, which are all blue-haired, bladed fighters, Robin truly stands out as being a labour of love from Sakurai’s team.
His final smash even calls in Chrom, from Awakening, to help out. Robin can also be a female as well, since he is simply the embodiment of the human player in Awakening.
However, no matter how great an inclusion Robin is to the roster, there is one character greater. Or should I say, two…
1. Duck Hunt Duo
First appearance: Duck Hunt (1984)
No, this is not a joke. After finding out that the characters from Duck Hunt would be playable, I also felt the same way. Fear not however, as the Duck Hunt Duo are made of sheer awesomeness.
Featuring the infamous laughing Dog from Duck Hunt, as well as a titular Duck, the characters work in a strange tandem unlike anything we’ve seen yet. If there was a way for me to best describe their teamwork, it would be ‘Banjo-Kazooie’ (there’s even an alternate colour that resembles the characters!) The Dog will attack at close range with a number of comical expressions, while the Duck is utilised for recovery purposes. The two of them work well together with a totally fresh and original move set, that looks tricky to master – but devastating once accomplished.
The Duck Hunt Duo also enlist a number of old NES buddies to do their work, summoning a Wild Gunman and even incorporating characters into their hilariously 8-bit Wild West showdown final smash. The Duck Hunt Duo is one of the most inspired characters ever to be found in the Smash Bros universe. Their designs are great and they each overflow with character and expression. Perhaps the best thing about the Duck Hunt Duo however is how they are truly a symbol of what Smash Bros represents – digging deep into the corners of Nintendo history and pulling forth old faces to the present limelight, celebrating the old and new meshing together.
Also, who doesn’t want to smack that Dog for laughing at you?
That’s my list! The newcomers this time round are absolutely excellent, with so many diverse and interesting move sets and designs. Sakurai and his team have done a really good job of differentiating them and limiting the amount of clone characters. Let me know who your favourite newcomers are in the comments below!
Tom Powter
Originally published October 2, 2014. Updated April 15, 2018.
